Another tight game, but the Paul and Kevin always seemed to be playing catch up to the pair from Wivenhoe who progress to the next round.
A Big Week In The Men’s County Comps – Part 1
Central’s Kevin Fitzgerald won through the latest round of the County singles, beating Falcon BC’s Andrew Squire 21-20 in a tense match on Monday that lasted over two hours.
Squire, one of the County’s foremost bowlers, took an early lead in the first few ends, but Kevin clawed this back, and for the middle section of the game the scores were pretty level. It wasn’t until the 18th end that there was decisive swing in the Central player’s favour. Three shots on that end gave him a 18-15 lead. Squire countered with two shots on the next, then they traded singles in the next few ends. At 19-18 Squire upped the pressure and was on at least one occasion holding game, but a few key woods from Fitzgerald and couple of occasions where woods fell in his favour meant that the game went down to the wire at 20 all.
On what was to be the final end Squire again put the pressure on straight from his first bowl which finished little more than a foot directly in front of the jack. Another tight head ensued with Squire making Fitzgerald’s job more difficult with more well placed short woods. Then Squire’s final wood of the end made the jack visible again. This spurred Fitzgerald into playing a little weight and he managed to find a way through two short woods to trail the jack and count the single he needed to win the game.
Fitzgerald continues Central’s good form in the County singles over the last few years, and goes on to play Mark Wilson of local rivals Ilford in the quarter finals of the competition.
Ladies County News
Maureen Norgate’s team of four unfortunately lost their game yesterday against Sylvia Bloomfield of Connaught which was played on Connaught’s very heavy green.
However, Isabel Anderson’s team beat the second team from Buckhurst Hill this week in a very exciting match which was very even all the way until the last few ends when the Buckhurst skip, who had been firing with great accuracy scattering the good woods of Wanstead Central, lost her way and miss the head several times allowing Central to run out the winners.
Isabel’s team of Eve Beaken. Barbara Barr and Janet Bird now meet Connaught on the neutral ground of Silverthorn
Lionel Chambers Two Wood Pairs
We we blessed with a sunny, if not overly warm, Bank Holiday for the annual all day event.
The pairs of Trish Banfield & George Coster, Mavis Seabrook & Brian Bessell, Barbara Crouch & Kevin Fitzgerald and Brenda Spicer & Colin Foster made it through the round-robin stages to the semis.
Trish & George beat Brenda & Colin, and Mavis & Brian beat Barbara & Kevin to contest the final
Trish’s steady leading in the final, backed up by some spectacular jack-trailing by George saw them run out 8-1 winners.
Ladies Top of the Form at Batham & Ongar
Maureen Norgate had a relatively easy win in the singles 21-12.
The pairs came from behind and only lost 15-17.
Unfortunately the triples went down quite heavily so it was up to the Fours to save the day.
[Ed.] Unlike the Men’s version there are only four disciplines in the Ladies Top Club, so a 2-all situation is decided on shots[Ed]
On the 18th end it was all square at 19 all. Central then scored a 1, and a 4 which still left an overall score of minus 1.
However, our ladies kept their nerve and managed a score of 2 on the last end giving us a plus one winning score.
They now meet Falcon away on the 20th July.
Barbara
It’s Deja-View All Over Again
In their third clash of the season Central played Ilford in the London and Southern Counties Shield.
Away at Ilford the two rinks roughly cancelled each other out shotwise. Unfortunately at Nutter Lane both rinks succumbed so Ilford beat us again. That makes it 2-1 to them so far. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to redress the balance later in the season
Women’s Top Club Win Shows The Men The Epping Way To Play
Within 24 hours of the Men’s loss in their Top Club competition the Ladies took on Epping in their equivalent.
The Ladies won three out of the four disciplines to book themselves a place in the next round on the infamous Bantham and Ongar artificial green next Saturday.
Men’s Top Club Bottoms Out
Ilford B.C. gave us a 4-1 thrashing. Enough said 🙁
National Men’s Double Fours – Episode 2
In the second of this weekend’s National double fours matches Central’s A team took on local rivals Ilford. Just a few weeks ago we were playing on the same side as a lot of their men during the indoor season, but there is always a healthy rivalry between our two clubs outdoors.
On this occasion Central took an early lead on both rinks and by half way we were very much in control and just had to avoid any slip ups. In some welcome sunshine the A team held their own and were compfortably ahead at the end as well.
Next opponents, Fords or South Woodford.
Hitched Codgers “The Birds”
Two stalwarts of the club celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by attending Peter’s infamous quiz night.
18262 days ago Janet and Mick Bird pledged to love, honour and answer trivia until a tie break question did them part.
Congratulations to them both.
